(i) Mayor (or person presiding)

(ii) Members of the Cabinet

(iii) Chief Executive

Mayor

I hope you all enjoyed the Easter holiday with family and friends.

It is a particular favourite time of the year for myself where I like to see sunlight and daffodils thriving across all our communities. A timely reminder that summer will soon be upon us.

Since our last full Council meeting, I have had the pleasure yet again of meeting some incredible and remarkable people within our County Borough.

Some examples included, the birthday celebrations for Mrs Helena Charles BEM who celebrated her 105 birthdays in her home community of Blaengarw. A truly remarkable lady who shared memories of a lifetime in the Garw Valley, Mrs Charles is probably our most senior person in the County Borough, but I am sure I will be corrected if this is not right. 

I met the Ogmore Valley Suicide Awareness Group and had the pleasure of awarding its members a Mayors Certificate for their service to the community. The group were nominated for such an award by the Ogmore Valley Community Council.

It was a humbling experience to meet members of the group some of which had themselves experienced the collateral trauma of suicide. To listen to their experiences and witness at first hand their incredible focus and positivity to help others suffering from mental health issues was incredible.

It was also a particularly proud moment to attend the Declaration Ceremony of our new High Sheriff for Mid Glamorgan, Professor Jean White.

This was a very proud moment to witness the Declaration. I am sure the whole Chamber will join me in wishing Professor White the very best in her twelve-month term of office.

Could I also take this opportunity to thank the outgoing High Sheriff Maria Thomas for her support to the County Borough during her term of office. It was a pleasure to accompany and work with Maria at many civic events both within the County Borough and beyond.

I also had the privilege of welcoming Princess Anne Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal to the Bridgend Carers facility at Park Street Bridgend.

The event led by Helen Pitt manager of the Bridgend Carers Centre just demonstrates how vital a service the Bridgend Carers provide to unpaid carers. It was clear that unpaid carers make such a difference to our communities often in very difficult situations. The energy and pride within the centre were palpable.

A big thank you to all the team at Bridgend Carers. I am sure the whole chamber will continue to support your vital engagement and service to the most vulnerable.

Quite a unique experience and a first for me, was to be a guest of honour for a visit to the Dar-Ui- Isra Mosque at Wyeverne Road in Cardiff to share a Ramadam Meal.

This was an incredible experience, especially when I was asked to address the congregation. 

I met so many lovely people and enjoyed the various presentations on the meaning of Ramadam which is a sacred time and a key celebration in  ...  view the full minutes text for item 120